RNY Surgery , 8 Months out ,137lbs down and in pain everyday !

Hi all .

I had RNY surgery on Oct 24th  In Ottawa . Surgery went well .

However I started experiencing pain under my right shoulder blade during the third week of my recovery. I also experienced pain under my sternum when I ate or drank. At that time I called the clinic and spoke with my Nurse practitioner . I was told to eat smaller bites, chew my food better and take time between mouthfuls. I did that and the pain never ever went away. By February I was only able to eat one or two bites of food before the pain intensified so much I could no longer eat or drink.  I ended up taking myself to  emergency at the Ottawa Civic (an experience I would not recommend to anyone but that's another story). I was admitted and the next day was given an endoscopy test . The result was a Systemic Ulcer caused by the surgery.  Not food or eating habits as most people think. I follow the diet requirements to the letter and have been told by the dietitian at the clinic I need  to stretch the recommended dietary requirements a bit because I am too regimented. 

Getting back to the ulcer... 

I was placed on two types of medication and was told the pain should go away with in 4 to 5 weeks . The pain I experienced eating has gone  however I still have the pain in my upper back.  After speaking with my Surgeon I was scheduled for another round of tests. I did an endoscope yesterday. The result was the ulcer has shrunk however it is still present right where the intestine attaches to the new stomach. Ah ha the root of the cause? Maybe, maybe not  please read on

My back pain is still there and now has grown in area and intensity. I now feel sick when I eat and I experience major stomach pains. My surgeon has placed me back on meds for another 4 weeks and if the ulcer has not healed she might have to go back in and remove it from the area where it is attached to my stomach pouch  and re attach it elsewhere on the new stomach pouch.  There is another possibility is that the back pain is not related to the ulcer and I will have to get the gallbladder removed. I have done a HIDA test and an Ultra sound both tests show a severely blocked gallbladder . I go for a CT scan next week so they can see if my intestine is twisted .  If it is  then it is still another surgery.

I would say no matter what is causing the pain I feel 24/7  I am doubtful it will be corrected by meds and I am mentally preparing myself for another surgery

I guess the biggest question is if I knew pre op what would happen post op would I do the surgery again?   The answer is Yes  I will take a few months of discomfort  over years of being unable to move because of leg cramps and unable to breath because I was so big. Maybe suffering a major heart attack.

Is it worth giving up food and drink I used too put in my body? Yes it is!

If your reading this and wondering If you should do the surgery  all I can say is if your mentally tough and have good support  then the answer to all the questions should be simple

I started a blog way back in October  if you have some time check it out

www.tgiles2011.blog.com

I hope it helps

Troy

comments?

Troy so sorry to hear about the challenges you're having. I hope they get it sorted out soon.

Makes me realize how very lucky I have been.

I wish a quick resolve to your issues.

Troy, why are they sitting on your gallbladder. If it's blocked, it needs to come out plain & simple. I'm 5 months out, have the pain behind the shoulder blade & mine is getting removed very soon. Nobody wants more surgery but gallbladder issues lead to pancreas issues and that makes you sick!  I have been nursing for over 20 years & definitely try to leave my professional opinion off this forum but you need that gallbladder out with what you have said

I guess my surgeon wants to be 100% sure the pain is from the gallbladder. I do show some "A typical" signs of gallbladder issues but on the other hand I have symptoms that are not "A typical"  Finding a Systemic ulcer has her as well as the other doctors at the clinic  wondering if the pain from under my shoulder blade is because the ulcer is located in the posterior part of my stomach and has flared up causing the pain. The HIDA test and ultra sound shows no gallstones in my gallbladder  but a sludge  Not sure if that has any bearing on the symptoms I have or not  

First, I'm terribly sorry to hear about your ongoing pain and health issues. What a struggle you've had.

Second, if your gallbladder is presenting as blocked and with sludge it is time to get that out. Like NOW. There is no reason to keep it and it's obviously causing terrible pain and illness. I too am very unclear as to why they're waiting to remove a non-essential diseased organ - there is absolutely no reason for it. Gallbladder removal is an easy, swift procedure done almost always as a lap surgery.

Sadly, I think that if you had repeatedly gone to the ER in pain, they would have removed it already for you as an "emergency" surgery.

Best wishes to you - I sincerely hope you have relief and SOON.

Karen

Mine is full of sludge too as well as an incidental finding of polyps. My surgeon just said it's causing pain & nausea Lets just take it out. They won't know if it's the gallbladder causing the issues unless they take it out. It truly is a simple procedure. I know they don't like to cut if they don't have too but sometimes you have to. A lap chole is a much easier recovery than pancreatitis

good luck & congrats on what you have accomplished

I guess because I don't show all the "signs" related to a gallbladder issue and show symptoms of other issues , the doc does not want to go in and remove the gallbladder  then find out it was not that which caused the pain and then  have to go back in a third time to do other work. Once she gets a definitive result from my tests then she will do all required work at the same time . I have lived with the pain since November so waiting another month is the least of my worries .

I did ask her why the gallbladder was not removed during the initial process and she said the Gov. does not pay for the removal of a healthy organ ( at the time of the RNY surgery my gallbladder was fine) Now that the gallbladder is blocked the Gov. will pay to have it removed.  It's just like access skin, once weight loss has been achieved  The Gov. wont pay to have it removed for cosmetic reasons  they only pay if the access skin is a health hazard.

Hmm. Well, if a gallbladder that is so diseased that it shows up as "blocked and full of sludge" isn't a reason to remove it, I don't know what is quite frankly. I can appreciate your comparison to excess skin, but I'll have to disagree on this one. You have a diseased organ in your body that is, and will continue to, making you sick. They removed my pannus due to health reasons - rashes, infection, etc - but I certainly can't compare it to an internal organ that, leaving it sick, will only make one sicker.

Anyway. You are very patient. I wish you best wishes and a quick solution!

K.

I have to say.. I only had 3 gall bladder attacks.. all of which I was admitted to the hospital. I was scheduled to have it out. It was 2 months to the day of my RNY!

I also had testing.. ultrasounds, xrays, HIDAscans, blood work. Other then me rything in pain and whining and crying my eyes out, I didn't show many other signs either.

I agree with others on here.. We have to advocate for ourselves! Get that sucker outta there before it creates more health hazards! 

I am sorry you are going through so much. Your weight loss has been great. I hope they find a solution soon.